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[tangolovers]

Hi,

Fabulous product!!!  Just one little thing I'm having trouble with and I think I'm not alone....

When I started using MC, I ripped as mp3's (like many folks) and now I wish to reimport as flac.  I don't see anything in MC that allows me to replace the existing mp3 files with the new flac files.   I just end up with two sets of files.    I could simply delete the mp3's, however I have many playlists (i.e. pointers) as well as tags that I don't wish to lose.

After searching the forum I only found complicated instructions that left some of the important details unexplained.  I am reluctant to experiment with these things as I don't know what kind of a mess I will create.  Seems like such an amazingly robust product like MC would incorporate such a feature.   I have tried the Library Tools -> Copy, Replace, Move but no luck.   Tried Wiki several times and gave up - totatally not intuitive or easy to use.

Can anyone shed any light on this issue.  Clearly from reading the forums, I'm not the only one trying to do this.  There's got to be a more user friendly way to do this other than writing code or scripts.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!
Susie

[tangolovers]

After piecing together information I found, I finally filled in the missing details and made this work.  I think I've documented the missing details.  Worked very well and fairly easily once I got the hand of it.  I hope no one else has to struggle like this just to find the answers.... good luck!   P.s. Please forgive the loss of formatting by having to cut and paste into this forum... I couldn't find a place to include an attachement. :-\

HOW TO RE-RIP TRACKS (I.E. MP3 TO FLAC) WHILE PRESERVING PLAYLISTS & TAGS
1.   Backup your library: File->Library->Back Up Library (so you can restore if something goes wrong).
2.   Disable Auto-Import: Tools->Auto Import Options (uncheck 'run auto-import in background')
3.   If you want to change formats, ie mp3 to FLAC, or your ripping file-naming convention has changed:
a.   Select all the tracks you are re-ripping and Tools->Library Tools->Rename, Move, & Copy Files
b.   Select Rename (moves files if directory changes).
c.   Fill out the Directories, Filename fields to ensure that the old file naming convention matches your current convention so that the original filenames will match the re-ripped filenames.
d.   If changing formats (mp3 to flac),
i.   Under Filename – change rule to  ‘Track #’ only, such that each file looks like 01.flac, 02.flac etc.
ii.   Under Find & Replace – fill out 'Find What' field with the old file format extension, eg mp3, and the 'Replace With' field with the new format extension, eg 'flac'
e.   Check that the Action window shows correct information for Original and New and then select 'OK'. You will be asked whether to move the files, select 'Yes'.   Result is that all files should simply be renamed to something like ‘03.flac’.
4.   Select Tools -> Options -> File Location -> Filename rule: [Track #].   By changing the file to track# only, you will be able to overwrite the previous files while keeping the playlists and tags intact.  
5.   In the Rip Action Window select ‘Options’ -> ‘Advanced Ripping Options’ -> ‘Overwrite Existing Files’ with same name.
6.   Re-rip your tracks and ensure they replace the original files
a.   If ripping with JRiver Media Center:
i.   Rip to a temporary location, and once ripped, delete the new files from the library (do not delete the actual files!)
ii.   Use an external file manager to replace the original files with the new ones.
7.   Select all the original tracks in JRiver Media Center and perform the following operations:
a.   Tools->Library Tools->Update Tags (from library)
b.   Tools->Library Tools->Update Library (from tags)
8.   Your library should now point at your newly ripped files and have preserved the original files' tags
9.   Reset all settings to normal:
a.   Re-enable Auto-Import if you use it: Tools->Auto Import Options
b.   Select Tools -> Options -> File Location -> Filename rule: [Track #] – [Name]
c.   Select  Tools->Library Tools->Rename, Move, & Copy Files
i.   Select Rename (moves files if directory changes)
ii.   Uncheck Find and Replace.
iii.   Under Rip Disc window, select Options -> Advanced Ripping Options -> deselect Overwrite Existing Files

[jolo]

Interesting, but I have to admit that I use simpler methods for this.
As a rule, I store my audio in two formats (that is if the source is a CD or from a FLAC/WAV file).

• I rip to FLAC, user secure ripping. When I rip to FLAC, I want it to be "pure", as possible, meaning as exact to the original as possible.
• NO normalization or any DSP Studio options are used. I do this thanks to the suggestion of some great suggestions from forum members
• Even if brand new, I wipe my media with a Microfiber cloth before inserting, believe me, this has saved me time with my secure rips
• I do a secure Rip to FLAC, and I will keep the default speed setting as Maximum.
• If my Secure rip shows errors, I will re-rip & encode to FLAC those individual songs/parts again, this time slowing down the read speed of my CD ROM.
• I store my audio files file names that have Track Number - File Name. The track number is two digits, this makes sorting an album (CD) easier
• While I would like MC14 to allow for saving a rip multiple times, so that I can store in FLAC and Ogg Vorbis at the same time, but it does not
• After I have created my FLAC Archive files, that I know have been ripped perfectly, as they were ripped in secure mode, I then select the FLAC files I have created, then create another set, in the same file folder as the original, but encoded as Ogg Vorbis format (q6).
• I don't go back to the source media, as I am secure with my FLAC rips, that are in same functional the exact format of the original (no normalization and no DSP settings).
• I then copy the Ogg Vorbis files to my portable Media Player, a COWON, that natively supports FLAC and Ogg Vorbis (Ape as well).
• [After I connect my portable COWON via USB, I copy my new Ogg Vorbis files (sometimes my FLAC files, if something is very important to me). I don't use MC for copying over. On my PC files structure, I have my folders as "Artist Name as a primary folder, then "Album/CD Name" as a subfolder, then my audio folders, both my FLAC and Ogg Vorbis files in the same subfolder.
• I just sort my newly created subfolder by file type and file name (remember that first two characters of my filename are my track numbers), so that I can just select my Ogg Vorbis Files and they will be in track order. Then I just drag and drop them to my COWON, portable media player, which I have the same type of file structure as on my PC. They will be on my Player in the same order as they were on the original source.
• From my PC, I play the FLAC files, on my COWON portable player, or my notebook PC, I play them in Ogg Vorbis format

If someone only listens to MP3 formatted audio, and using a mediocre playing device, like an Ipod, they don't know how much fidelity they are missing. FLAC and Ogg Vorbis, from a good audio source , good headphones or speakers to take advantage of the audio player sound great, clear, clean and accurate, as the artist intended.